Manteca’s proposed $39.2 million spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1 includes funding for two more police officers and a dispatcher.
That will give Manteca Police the highest number of officers the city has ever had.
In February the City Council authorized hiring an officer after a mid-year budget review showed municipal revenues trending above projections. When that position is filled it will give the city 67 police officers to equal the staffing the department was at in before the Great Recession hit. Manteca dropped to 55 sworn officers in the 2011-2012 fiscal year when 12 officers were laid off due to budget cuts.
The bargaining group for police officers opted not to go for salary rollbacks to protect positions as every other municipal employee group did at the time.
Manteca’s population was less than 69,000 in 2011. Today Manteca is at 81,450 residents. That means the city will have grown by 12,450 residents while adding two officers.
The 2008-2009 budget actually called for 83 sworn officers. However, due to vacancies and lag time that has traditionally been built into the hiring system, Manteca never filled all 83 positions. The funding for those positions were consumed by overspending throughout the general fund with revenues plummeting due to the Great Recession with income exceeding expenditures as the city cannibalized reserves to balance the budget.
The City Council will review the proposed budget during a special meeting taking place Tuesday, May 29, at 6 p.m., at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.
The budget also includes a request to fund a lobby upgrade for the Manteca Police Department to address safety concerns as well as to better accommodate the public. The police station and lobby was built in 1978 when Manteca had 22,000 residents.
Among the proposed expenditures highlighted in the budget message from City Manager Tim Ogden and Finance Director Jeri Tejeda are:
Funds for increased employee compensation and benefits including a 2 percent salary increase and a 2 percent reopener effective July 1, 2018 and a 2 percent reopener from July 1, 2017. The increases were negotiated with employee groups as part of the July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2018 Memoranda of Understanding.
Increased contributions to the California Public Employees Retirement System.
$10,000 for Manteca’s centennial celebration gala scheduled for December.
Continuing to subsidize the golf fund with $240,000 from the general fund.
Continuing to subsidize the recreation fund with $200,000 from the general fund.
Setting aside $80,000 from the general fund for equipment replacement and $375,000 for vehicle replacement.
$105,000 for expenses related to the November municipal election.
$48,000 for grant writing services.
$60,100 for lobbying efforts.
Staff is also recommending earmarking $401,000 for capital facilities projects using general fund money. That includes:
Resurfacing the 3.4-mile Tidewater Bikeway.
Upgrades, renovation and maintenance at the Lincoln swimming pool.
Security gates at the Union Road fire station to prevent the homeless and others from accessing the area behind the station.
An air conditioning unit for the Manteca Police dispatch office.
Diamond Oaks Park playground replacement.
Technology related projects costing $434,000 are recommended for funding for expenses related to data storage expansion, citywide records management, and police body camera upgrades and maintenance among other endeavors.
The budget proposal calls for using development agreement fees — bonus bucks that developers paid for residential sewer allocation — to not only upgrade the police department lobby but to purchase a hybrid greens mower/roller as well as fund Parks & Recreation facilities feasibility studies as the next step toward implementing the city council adopted Park and Recreation master plan.
That will give Manteca Police the highest number of officers the city has ever had.
In February the City Council authorized hiring an officer after a mid-year budget review showed municipal revenues trending above projections. When that position is filled it will give the city 67 police officers to equal the staffing the department was at in before the Great Recession hit. Manteca dropped to 55 sworn officers in the 2011-2012 fiscal year when 12 officers were laid off due to budget cuts.
The bargaining group for police officers opted not to go for salary rollbacks to protect positions as every other municipal employee group did at the time.
Manteca’s population was less than 69,000 in 2011. Today Manteca is at 81,450 residents. That means the city will have grown by 12,450 residents while adding two officers.
The 2008-2009 budget actually called for 83 sworn officers. However, due to vacancies and lag time that has traditionally been built into the hiring system, Manteca never filled all 83 positions. The funding for those positions were consumed by overspending throughout the general fund with revenues plummeting due to the Great Recession with income exceeding expenditures as the city cannibalized reserves to balance the budget.
The City Council will review the proposed budget during a special meeting taking place Tuesday, May 29, at 6 p.m., at the Civic Center, 1001 W. Center St.
The budget also includes a request to fund a lobby upgrade for the Manteca Police Department to address safety concerns as well as to better accommodate the public. The police station and lobby was built in 1978 when Manteca had 22,000 residents.
Among the proposed expenditures highlighted in the budget message from City Manager Tim Ogden and Finance Director Jeri Tejeda are:
Funds for increased employee compensation and benefits including a 2 percent salary increase and a 2 percent reopener effective July 1, 2018 and a 2 percent reopener from July 1, 2017. The increases were negotiated with employee groups as part of the July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2018 Memoranda of Understanding.
Increased contributions to the California Public Employees Retirement System.
$10,000 for Manteca’s centennial celebration gala scheduled for December.
Continuing to subsidize the golf fund with $240,000 from the general fund.
Continuing to subsidize the recreation fund with $200,000 from the general fund.
Setting aside $80,000 from the general fund for equipment replacement and $375,000 for vehicle replacement.
$105,000 for expenses related to the November municipal election.
$48,000 for grant writing services.
$60,100 for lobbying efforts.
Staff is also recommending earmarking $401,000 for capital facilities projects using general fund money. That includes:
Resurfacing the 3.4-mile Tidewater Bikeway.
Upgrades, renovation and maintenance at the Lincoln swimming pool.
Security gates at the Union Road fire station to prevent the homeless and others from accessing the area behind the station.
An air conditioning unit for the Manteca Police dispatch office.
Diamond Oaks Park playground replacement.
Technology related projects costing $434,000 are recommended for funding for expenses related to data storage expansion, citywide records management, and police body camera upgrades and maintenance among other endeavors.
The budget proposal calls for using development agreement fees — bonus bucks that developers paid for residential sewer allocation — to not only upgrade the police department lobby but to purchase a hybrid greens mower/roller as well as fund Parks & Recreation facilities feasibility studies as the next step toward implementing the city council adopted Park and Recreation master plan.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
